8 Unique Wedding Traditions from Around The World

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Love is a universal language; but weddings, they are unique and interesting everywhere. Each culture has its own way to symbolize a wish for the couple for a prosperous and blissful marriage journey. Today, we've gathered up some interesting facts from around the world – some still used, while some long gone, but they surely are fascinating.

Preplanned crying in Tujia, China

It is true that a wedding day is such an emotional day for the brides, but the Tujia people in China take it to another level. A month before the wedding, the bride was mandated to cry for 1 hour every day: the first 10 days, by herself; the next 10 days, with the mother; and 10 days after that, her grandmother. By the end of the month, the females of the family will be joining the crying rituals alongside the bride. This is not a cry of sadness, but an expression of joy.

Stealing shoes in India

In some parts of India, the wedding ceremony starts with the groom taking off his shoes before approaching the wedding altar. Then, the ‘battle’ begins. People from the groom’s side will try to protect the shoe, while the bride’s family will try to steal it. When the bride’s family succeeds, then the groom has to pay a ransom to get them back.

Blackening the bride in Scotland

The wedding ritual in Scotland includes covering the brides and grooms in treacle, soot, and flour. It starts as the belief that in blackening the bride, they will be able to ward off evil spirits – and supposedly, if you can handle this, you can handle anything, including marriage.

Purifying bride in High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

In Morocco, particularly in the High Atlas Mountains, the brides are dressed for a traditional mass wedding that includes four days of ceremony rituals. In one of the days, the brides purify themselves with water from a river.

The unveiling in Astana, Kazakhstan

Flanked by traditional dancers, brides in Astana, Kazakhstan, will be waiting for her formal unveiling at a wedding palace.

Smashing dishes in Greece

In Greece, the bride and groom will get new dishes as gifts ─ just to smash them away. It is supposed to scare the evil spirits with the noise of broken dishes.

No smiling in Congo

Marriages are serious business; very serious that in Congo, the bride and groom is not allowed to smile throughout the entire ceremony. They are talking about taking the solemn vow, solemnly!

The devoted bride in Japan

It’s common to be devoted to the groom, but in Japan, the bride is demanded to be devoted to the in laws. The bride is painted pure white from head to toe, declaring she is a maiden. She wears white kimono and an elaborate headpiece. During the ceremony, the bride wears a white hood on her head, as to hide her ‘horns of jealousy’ she’s supposedly feeling toward her mother-in-law, and to display her devotion to become a gentle, obedient wife.